Earbuds
Four budget earbuds, by published specs
A soundcore P20i, a soundcore P40i whose page prints adaptive noise cancelling, a JBL Wave Buds, and a Sony WF-C510. The table is the page. AnzroTech has not tested these products and does not rank them.
Disclosure. These are published specifications only, not tests. A commission would apply only if shopping links are added later. Amazon and Jumia accounts are not approved, so this page has no shopping links.
Spec comparison
Each cell is a figure from the maker page linked below. If that page does not print the figure, the cell says “Not listed.” Nothing here is estimated.
| Model | Playtime | Driver | Bluetooth | Weight | Water resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P20i | 10 hours; 30 hours with the case | 10 mm | 5.3 | Not listed | IPX5 |
| P40i | 12 hours; 60 hours with the case | 11 mm composite | Not listed | Not listed | IPX5 |
| Wave Buds | Up to 8 hours; up to 32 hours (8 h + 24 h) with the case | 8 mm dynamic | 5.2 | 4.5 g per earbud (9 g combined); case 34 g | IP54 earbuds; IPX2 case |
| WF-C510 | Max. 11 hours (ASM off) / max. 8 hours (ASM on); up to 22 hours with the case | 6 mm | 5.3 | Approx. 0.16 oz × 2 (including earbud tips M); case approx. 1.09 oz | IPX4 |
How to read the table
- Hours are the playtime the maker prints, not a measurement by AnzroTech. A mode named on the page, such as ambient sound or noise cancelling, is part of that printed line. This page does not estimate hours the maker left off.
- Driver is the size the page prints. The P20i and P40i pages do not print a weight, so those cells stay “Not listed.”
- Water resistance is the maker’s code. JBL prints one code for the earbuds and another for the case. The Sony product page says the charging case is not water resistant. The P20i and P40i pages print IPX5 and do not say whether that includes the case.
- Codec is not a table column. The Sony specifications page prints SBC and AAC. The P20i, P40i, and Wave Buds pages used here do not print a codec.
The P40i product page prints 11 mm composite drivers, and its spec table does not print a Bluetooth version. A comparison chart on the P20i page prints “10mm drivers” and Bluetooth 5.3 in the P40i column. The table follows the P40i page. That chart does print 12H/60H and IPX5 for the P40i, which match the P40i page.
The P40i spec table prints 12H/60H, and the product text says a single charge is 12 hours with a case that extends it to 60 hours. A FAQ on the UK P40i page prints a split: Normal, 12 hours for the earbuds and 60 hours for the charging case; ANC, 10 hours and 50 hours; Transparency, 10 hours and 50 hours; calls, 7 hours with ANC off and 6.5 hours with ANC on. The table uses the spec table. This page does not add those lines together.
The Wave Buds spec sheet prints 4.5 g per earbud (9 g combined) and a 34 g case, and charging time “<2 hrs from empty.” The JBL product page prints earpiece weight 9 g / 0.3 oz, case 34 g / 1.2 oz, total weight 43 g, and charging time 2 hours. The table follows the spec sheet. The same product page’s item number for the black pair is JBLWBUDSBLK.
The WF-C510 table follows the Sony USA specifications page, which prints ounces and a Bluetooth range of 32.81 ft. Sony’s India specifications page prints approx. 4.6 g × 2 (including earbud tips M), a case of approx. 31 g, and a range of 10 m. Driver, Bluetooth version, IPX4, and the 8-hour / 11-hour playback lines match. The 22-hour total is on the Sony Electronics product page, which says it applies when Ambient Sound Mode, DSEE, and EQ Custom are turned off. That page is for model WF-C510/W.
Sources
- soundcore US product page, soundcore P20i True Wireless Earbuds — 10 mm drivers, 10 hours and 30 hours with the case, a 10-minute charge for 2 hours, Bluetooth 5.3, IPX5, and 2 built-in mics. No weight and no codec.
- soundcore US product page, soundcore P40i — 11 mm composite drivers, 12 hours and 60 hours with the case, IPX5, adaptive noise cancelling, and 6 mics. No Bluetooth version, weight, or codec in the spec table.
- soundcore UK product page, soundcore P40i — the same 11 mm, 12H/60H, and IPX5 lines, plus the FAQ playtime split for Normal, ANC, Transparency, and calls.
- JBL spec sheet, Wave Buds — 8 mm driver, up to 8 hours and up to 32 hours (8 h + 24 h), Bluetooth 5.2, 4.5 g per earbud, 34 g case, IP54 earbuds, and IPX2 case.
- JBL product page, Wave Buds — earpiece weight 9 g / 0.3 oz, case 34 g / 1.2 oz, total 43 g, and charging time 2 hours. Driver 8 mm, Bluetooth 5.2, IP54, and IPX2 match the spec sheet.
- Sony USA specifications, WF-C510 — 6 mm driver, Bluetooth 5.3, SBC and AAC, IPX4, max. 11 hours with ASM off and max. 8 hours with ASM on, approx. 0.16 oz × 2, and a case of approx. 1.09 oz.
- Sony Electronics product page, WF-C510/W — up to 11 hours plus up to 11 hours in the case, 22 hours total when Ambient Sound Mode, DSEE, and EQ Custom are off, and the line that the charging case is not water resistant.
- Sony India specifications, WF-C510 — the same driver, Bluetooth version, codecs, IPX4, and 8-hour / 11-hour lines, printed in grams (approx. 4.6 g × 2; case approx. 31 g) with a range of 10 m.
Other lines from the same pages
Lines below are copied from those maker pages. They are not measurements. A codec, range, or weight the page does not print is left off.
soundcore P20i
The page says a 10-minute charge gives 2 hours of playtime. It says there are 2 built-in mics. A feature line says tap controls. The comparison chart on the same page says Touch Control. It says the case has a lanyard. It does not print weight, a codec, a Bluetooth range, or a battery capacity in mAh.
soundcore P40i
The spec table prints fast charging as 10M = 5H, calls as 6 mics with AI, noise cancelling as adaptive ANC, and control as touch. The page says the case is also a phone stand. It does not print weight, a codec, a Bluetooth version, or a Bluetooth range. The UK FAQ playtime split is in the note above. That FAQ says the playtime figures come from Anker laboratory testing at default settings and 50% volume, and that actual playtime may vary. AnzroTech did not repeat that test.
JBL Wave Buds
Spec sheet: power supply 5 V 1 A. Earbud battery, lithium-ion polymer, 47 mAh / 3.8 V. Charging-case battery, lithium-ion polymer, 550 mAh / 3.8 V. Charging time, less than 2 hours from empty. Talk time, 4.5 hours. Frequency response, 20 Hz – 20 kHz. Impedance, 16 ohm. Sensitivity, 100 dB SPL at 1 kHz. Maximum SPL, 95 dB. Microphone sensitivity, −38 dBV/Pa at 1 kHz. Bluetooth profiles, A2DP V1.3, AVRCP V1.6, HFP V1.7. Transmitter frequency range, 2.4 GHz – 2.4835 GHz. Transmitter power, less than 10 dBm. A 10-minute charge is printed as two additional hours. Earbud size, 21.5 × 20.4 × 15.8 mm (0.85 × 0.8 × 0.62 in). Case size, 68.9 × 37 × 26.7 mm (2.71 × 1.45 × 1.05 in). The sheet does not print a codec or a Bluetooth range. It does not print watt-hours, so this page does not convert the mAh and voltage into watt-hours.
Sony WF-C510
USA specifications page: frequency response 20 Hz–20,000 Hz (44.1 kHz sampling). Audio formats SBC and AAC. Bluetooth range 32.81 ft. Earbud charge time approx. 1.5 hours, USB charge with the case. Case charge time approx. 3 hours. Continuous communication time, max. 5 hours with ASM on and max. 5 hours with ASM off. The product page says a 5-minute charge gives up to an hour of play time, and that the earbuds do not have active noise cancellation. Footnote 6 says the charging case is not water resistant. The India specifications page prints Bluetooth profiles A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, and HSP, and a range of 10 m. The USA page used for the table does not print those profile names.